whether

An example of whether is what someone would say when asking her child if she would like vanilla or chocolate ice cream.

whether

if it be the case or fact that: used to introduce an indirect question: ask whether she will help

in case; in either case that: used to introduce alternatives, the second of which is preceded by or or by or whether[whether he drives or (whether he) flies, he'll be on time]: sometimes, the second is merely implied or understood [we don't know whether he'll improve (or not)]

either: taxation to support the war, whether just or unjust

Origin of whether

Middle English from Old English hwæther (akin to German weder, neither) from Indo-European an unverified form kwotero-, which (of two) from base an unverified form kwo-, who (from source what) + comparative suffix

Archaic which (esp. of two): used interrogatively and relatively

whether Idioms

whether or no

in any case

whether

conjunction

Used in indirect questions to introduce one alternative: We should find out whether the museum is open. See Usage Note at doubt. See Usage Note at if.

Used to introduce alternative possibilities: Whether she wins or whether she loses, this is her last tournament.

Either: He passed the test, whether by skill or luck.

pron.

Archaic

Which: “We came in full View of a great Island or Continent, (for we knew not whether)” ( Jonathan Swift )

Origin of whether

Middle English from Old English hwether ; see kwo- in Indo-European roots.

whether

Pronoun

Bible, Matthew xxi. 31

Whether of them twain did the will of his father?

Conjunction

1616, William Shakespeare, King John, I.i:

Whether hadst thou rather be a Faulconbridge, [...] Or the reputed sonne of Cordelion?

Used to introduce an indirect interrogative question that consists of multiple alternative possibilities (usually with correlative or).

He chose the correct answer, but whether by luck or by skill I don't know.

Without a correlative, used to introduce a simple indirect question; if, whether or not.

Do you know whether he's coming?

Used to introduce a disjunctive adverbial clause which qualifies the main clause of the sentence (with correlative or).

He's coming, whether you like it or not.

Usage notes

There is some overlap in usage between senses 2 and 3, in that a yes-or-no interrogative content clause can list the two possibilities explicitly in a number of ways:

Do you know whether he's coming or staying?

Do you know whether he's coming or not?

Do you know whether or not he's coming?

Further, in the first two of these examples, the "or staying" and "or not" may be added as an afterthought (sometimes indicated in writing with a comma before), such that the whether may be uttered in sense 3 and then amended to sense 2.

Sense 4 does not have a counterpart that introduces only a single possibility; *"He's coming, whether you like it" is ungrammatical.

In traditional grammar, the clauses headed by whether in senses 2 and 3 are classified as noun clauses, and those headed by whether in sense 4 are classified as adverb clauses.

Origin

Old English hwÃ¦Ã¾er, from Proto-Germanic*hwaÃ¾eraz, comparative form of *hwaz (“who"). Cognate with German weder (“neither"), Swedish hvar, Icelandic hvorr (“each").